View full sizeAn architect's rendering shows the ground-level view of the FirstMerit Event Park outdoor venue being built on the property across from The Dow Event Center. The property formerly housed by the Saginaw Centre downtown mall, which was recently demolished.Courtesy | SMG

SAGINAW, MI — Saginaw's new outdoor event venue now has a primary sponsor, thanks to a five-year naming rights contract that has been signed by FirstMerit Bank.

"FirstMerit is proud to be associated with this great new venue,” said Todd Gregory, Saginaw Community President and Regional President of Core Business Banking for FirstMerit. "The FirstMerit name is new to Michigan following the acquisition of Citizens Bank and this is a wonderful way to show that FirstMerit is as committed to our communities as Citizens was."

Saginaw County leaders announced on Feb. 7 plans to build the outdoor venue downtown and plans to seek $1.275 million to fund its construction.

The property will remain in the ownership of Saginaw County but would be managed by SMG, the same company that runs The Dow Event Center.

Blasy called the bank's naming rights sponsorship as "significant," though he declined to place a specific dollar value on it. He said the funding brings the project to the point where the basic construction can be completed and the pavilion will begin hosting events before the end of the year.

"We have enough funding right now to get the basics of the project built and put some events up," Blasy said. "It's just a huge win for; and not only us, but for the community, to get the naming rights established for the venue."

Blasy said the project is still exploring grant funding and secondary and event-specific sponsorship to reach full funding levels.

"The community support on this is amazing," he said. "Everyone is 100 percent behind this project and recognize the importance of this for downtown Saginaw."

The funds the county initially planned to spend on putting a parking lot on the site will be directed toward preliminary construction on the site, but will not pay for the estimated $1.275 million pavilion itself. Blasy said no additional tax dollars will be spent on the project.

View full sizeAn architect's rendering shows a bird's-eye view of the layout of a new outdoor concert venue being planned on the property across from The Dow Event Center formerly filled by the Saginaw Centre downtown mall. Courtesy | SMG

Two events have already secured for the venue's first few months in operation, he said, and more are in the works.

The first will be Wonderfest on Aug. 24, which is the second year for the event that honors the music of Saginaw native Stevie Wonder. The second event will be "Fall In for Arts and Sol" on Sept. 28.

Blasy said adding the official name held the project gain legitimacy and will make it easier to line up other events.

"To be able to call it FirstMerit Event Park adds instant credibility to the venue, both within the Great Lakes Bay Region and our effort to secure events," he said.

Blasy said he hopes to add another event or two in 2013 to create a "sampling" of the variety that the venue can flex to accomodate.

Construction of the actual pavilion and grounds will continue, he said, though the storage and bathroom building planned at the rear of the pavilion may need to wait to be built in a second phase of the project. Steel will arrive at the property next week, Blasy said, to begin erection of the pavilion.

"Once people see that pavilion and the size of it and what wew can do under it, I think it is going to generate more interest with potential events," he said.